Latkin C A
Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Hygiene and Public Health, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Public Health Rep. 1998 Jun;113 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):151-9.
Guided by a social influence and empowerment framework, peer leaders in the injecting drug user (IDU) community were trained to promote human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention among their contacts within and beyond their sex and drug networks.
From 1994 to 1995 in Baltimore, Maryland, 36 peer leaders who participated in the 10-session training program were administered pretest and posttest surveys. Evaluation included leaders' self-reported HIV-related behaviors and outreach activities. Survey data also were collected from 78 of the leaders' risk network members.
Peer leaders reported a significant increase in condom use and in cleaning used needles with bleach. The leaders' risk network members, compared with controls, were significantly more likely to report greater needle hygiene. In an assessment of diffusion of information, the majority of risk network members who were current injectors reported receiving needle-cleaning materials from the leaders, and the majority of risk network members were able to correctly identify the HIV prevention slogans that had been taught to the leaders. The leaders documented 2165 HIV prevention interactions, of which 84% were with active drug users.
The results from this study suggest that, in the IDU community, training peer leaders as HIV educators may promote HIV prevention among the leaders' risk network members and others at risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV. This training also may provide the leaders with effective prosocial roles.
在社会影响与赋权框架的指导下，对注射吸毒者（IDU）社区中的同伴领袖进行培训，以在其性网络和毒品网络内外的交往对象中促进人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）预防工作。
1994年至1995年期间，在马里兰州巴尔的摩，对36名参加了为期10节培训课程的同伴领袖进行了预测试和后测试调查。评估内容包括领袖自我报告的与HIV相关的行为及外展活动。还从78名领袖的风险网络成员那里收集了调查数据。
同伴领袖报告称，避孕套的使用以及用漂白剂清洁用过的针头的行为显著增加。与对照组相比，领袖的风险网络成员报告有更好的针头卫生习惯的可能性显著更高。在对信息传播的评估中，大多数仍在注射毒品的风险网络成员报告从领袖那里收到了针头清洁材料，并且大多数风险网络成员能够正确识别教给领袖的HIV预防标语。领袖记录了2165次HIV预防互动，其中84%是与活跃吸毒者进行的。
本研究结果表明，在注射吸毒者社区中，将同伴领袖培训为HIV教育者可能会在领袖的风险网络成员以及其他有感染和传播HIV风险的人群中促进HIV预防工作。这种培训还可能为领袖提供有效的亲社会角色。
